Philadelphia is launching a new public service campaign aimed at teaching transit riders how to keep local transit systems safe.

The Regional Security Awareness aka “Look Up, Speak Up” campaign, will encourage transit riders to alert authorities if they notice anything suspicious or out of the ordinary on or around stations, trains and vehicles. Riders are encouraged to call #1776 from their phones or email a tip from the mobile website.

The campaign will encourage citizens to be the “eyes and ears” of public safety agencies.
“The customers who ride our City and region’s transit systems know their stations, trains, buses and routes intimately, and we are asking them to participate in transit security by looking up and speaking up if something seems out of the ordinary,” said Mayor Nutter. “All of us will enjoy a safer, more secure transit system if the more than 160,000 people who ride SEPTA and PATCO each day commit to looking out for one another.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security gave more than $5.3 million to the Philadelphia Area Regional Transit Security Working Group (PARTSWG). The group is made up of SEPTA, DPRA/PATCO, NJ Transit and the Delaware Transit Corporation. All four transit systems combined serve nearly 4.4 million commuters, residents and tourists each year.

Organizers of the “Look Up, Speak Up,” campaign will use broadcast, print, online and out of home advertising to spread their message to transit riders. They also plan on introducing a mobile app in the next few months